Vancouver boys basketball team looking for answers after being disqualified from local tournament

The Kitsilano Secondary School (KSS) boys' junior basketball team has seen its season unexpectedly cut short after a player was deemed ineligible.

On Wednesday night, an hour before tipoff, the Vancouver Secondary Schools Athletic Association (VSSAA) removed the team from the Vancouver City Championship due a player who was breaking the transfer rule, according to Kenny MacIntyre, the team's coach.

“(The players are) victims of bad adulting and it’s just not fair. It’s an administrative error,” said MacIntrye outside of the school with his team around him.

MacIntrye says the player in question was on a private school roster last year, but lives in the Kitsilano neighbourhood and transferred to KSS in September for Grade 10.

The volunteer coach explained that the team believed the paperwork had been filed and the player was on the court throughput the regular season without issue. It wasn’t until January that the team was notified that the student-athlete was ineligible.

“There’s an appeal process, (we) paid $250 to appeal it, and on Feb. 6 he’s deemed ineligible as well,” said MacIntyre.

A week later, MacIntyre and the team were notified that due to the player's ineligibility, the entire squad will suffer and be forced forfeit games.

Players, coaches and parents gathered to send a message to school administrators on Friday morning, chanting from the street: “Let the kids play."

Many parents in attendance explained how their sons have been distraught since being removed from the city championship tournament and said they’re worried for the boys' mental health after years of disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The administration failed the children and the children are paying the price,” said Ron Aloni, who has a son on the team.

In a statement to CTV News, the Vancouver School Board wrote that the team was notified that that the player was ineligible and explained the actions required to address it by BC School Sports.

“No actions were taken,” reads the letter.

The letter goes on to the say that the VSSAA and BC School Sports were made aware of the team's violation on Feb. 15 and made the decision to remove the team from the playoff tournament to ensure all schools and teams have a fair opportunity to play and compete.

The decision to remove the team comes at the end of a season in which the team was on pace to repeat as city champions.

CTV News asked BC School Sports why the decision was made now, and the governing body said it recently received a tip from another school.

“I think a school wasn’t sure about the status. I don’t think it was a nefarious sort of thing where they are asking with intent, (they) just wanted to make sure,” said Jordan Abney, the executive director for BC School Sports.

Now, the team of 15 is pleading for someone to save their season as a shot at a provincial title in 2023 is fading by the day.